Taricani, an investigative reporter with the NBC-owned affiliate station,
WJAR-TV, in Providence, Rhode Island, was held in criminal contempt of court
for refusing to reveal who leaked him an FBI surveillance tape that was
evidence in a municipal corruption trial.

Taricani was served with a subpoena after WJAR broadcast a portion of the
surveillance tape in 2001 showing a municipal official, Frank E. Corrente,
accepting a bribe from an FBI undercover agent. The tape was sealed under
court order at the time. Corrente, along with the former Providence Mayor,
Vincent "Buddy" Cianci Jr., were later convicted of corruption.

Taricani was held in civil contempt of court on March 16, 2003, by U.S.
District Judge Ernest C. Torres, who imposed a daily $1,000 fine, which
was stayed pending Taricani's appeal. His lawyers took the case to the U.S.
Court of Appeals First Circuit in Boston, where he lost on April 12 and
was ordered to start paying the pay the fine. Taricani's fines totaled $85,000,
and NBC reimbursed him.

Judge Torres stayed the fines on November 4, 2004, because they had not
induced Taricani to reveal his source. The judge then gave the journalist
another two weeks to either name his source or face criminal sanction. On
November 18, Judge Torres held Taricani in criminal contempt of court, although
the federal judge gave the journalist another three weeks before sentencing
him, presumably to give the journalist more time to consider his options.

Taricani is the recipient of a heart transplant, and Judge Torres has said
during deliberations that Taricani's heart condition is the main reason
he has been reluctant to order the journalist to jail.

Since then, Taricani's source who leaked him the FBI surveillance tape,
Joseph Bevilacqua, has testified in court that he was the source for the
tape. Bevilacqua was the defense attorney for another municipal official,
Joseph Pannone, who later pleaded guilty in the municipal corruption case.
Bevilacqua, is expected to face criminal sanctions for violating court orders
and leaking the tape to Taricani. Only after Bevilacqua came forward did
Taricani admit that the lawyer was the source for the FBI surveillance tape.

The two men have publicly disagreed whether Bevilacqua asked Taricani not
to reveal his identity as the source of the tape.

On December 9, 2004, was ordered to spend six months under house arrest
for refusing to reveal his source.

He will begin serving his sentence immediately and will only be free to
leave his house to visit the doctor or for a medical emergency. He has also
been barred from accessing the Internet during his arrest and cannot make
any public statements, according to WJAR. Under the law, Taricani could
have been sentenced to a maximum of six months in prison.